"For a long time the western tip of the Ile de la
Cite gave way to a muddy marshy area broken by the river
currents. In 1314
Philip le Bel had a stake erected on one of the mounds of ground for the
Grand Master of the Order of the Templars, Jacques de Molay, watching him
burn from his palace window. At the end of the 16C Henri III decided to reorganise
this untidy no-mans-land: the mud ditches were in-filled consolidating the
patches of solid ground, a great earth bank was amassed to support the
future Pont Neuf, and the south bank was raised by some 6m - 20ft. By
about 1580 the new terrain was ready for the developers.
In 1607 Henri IV ceded the land
between the Conciergerie and the Pont Neuf for a triangular square to be
built. The Square ('Place Dauphine') was named after the Dauphin,
in honour of the future Louis XIII. Down the stairs behind the Henri IV statue is the
'Square du Vert-Gallant'. This serene stretch of green, below the
hum of traffic, is at its natural ground level, before the land was build
up by Henri III. It's name derives from the nickname given to Henri IV,
alluding to his reputation as an amorous gentleman despite his
age!" (Michelin Green
Guide to Paris)

Statue of Henri IV in 'Place
Dauphine' with the 'Square du Vert-Gallant' falling away below to the Left
(West)

View of The Plaque from 'Square du
Vert-Gallant' (North side) with South Span of 'Pont Neuf' in background to
the Right

View of the Westernmost tip of the
'Ile de la Cite', showing 'Place Dauphine' with Statue of Henri IV on
the Right, and the 'Square du Vert-Gallant' stretching out below it to the
Left (West)

View of the Southern Span of the
'Pont Neuf' attaching to the 'Ile de la Cite', with the 'Place Dauphine'
and Easternmost part of 'Square du Vert-Gallant' below it and to the left
of the
picture.